Campus Safety

1. Be aware of your surroundings!! Recognize your vulnerability.
2. Report all suspicious people, vehicles and activities to the Campus Safety Department immediately, by using any campus blue light phone or by dialing 7697 from any campus phone.
3. Use the “buddy system” and watch out for our other community members.
4. Keep your doors locked whenever you find yourself alone in a building.
5. Report lights that are out and any hazardous conditions immediately to Campus Safety at 603-427-7697.
6. If you see someone being victimized, get involved and notify the Campus Safety Department or call 911.
7. Remember the location of emergency phones located in the East lot, West lot, and overflow parking lot on the Portsmouth Campus.
8. Program the Campus Safety phone number into your cell phone.

1. Avoid traveling alone at night, on campus or off.
2. Confine walking to well-lit, regular traveled walks and pathways. Avoid shortcuts and keep away from shrubbery, bushes, alleyways, or any other areas where an assailant might be lurking.
3. Do not accept rides from casual acquaintances.
4. When walking to your vehicle or residence, have your keys accessible.
5. When being dropped off by taxi or private vehicle, ask the driver to wait until you get inside.
6. If threatened by an approaching vehicle, run in the opposite direction. The vehicle will have to turn around in order to pursue you.
7. When getting out of a car, take a look around to make sure that you are not being followed.
8. If you think you are being followed, cross the street and, if necessary, keep crossing back and forth. If you are pursued, call 911 for help and run to a campus building, business, or residence, enlist the aid of a passerby, flag down a passing motorist, or as a last resort pull a fire alarm. Do anything that might attract attention or summon assistance. If you are walking alone and someone passes you, check to be sure that person has continued walking in the other direction.
9. Call or come to the Campus Safety Department for Escort Service if walking alone at night.
10. If you find yourself confronted by an assailant you must remember that while screaming and struggling may in some instances frighten off the assailant, in other instances you may further antagonize the assailant and bring forth a more violent reaction. Above all you must keep your head and assess the situation before choosing your course of action. Whether or not the assailant is armed or has made threats against your life should be a determining factor in your decision. The key word in this type of situation is survival.

1. If, while waiting for an elevator, you find yourself alone with a stranger, let them take the elevator and wait for its return, if you feel uncomfortable.
2. If you are on an elevator with someone who makes you feel uneasy, get off at the next floor.
3. Always stand near the control panel, where you have access to the alarm and floor buttons.
4. Emergency phones are installed in all passenger elevators. When you push the button, the phone will automatically dial the monitoring company which can contact Campus Safety.

1. Do not pick up hitchhikers.
2. Whenever possible, limit traveling to well-lit, well-traveled roads.
3. Keep your windows closed and doors locked.
4. When stopped at traffic lights or stop signs, keep your vehicle in gear. If threatened, sound your horn and drive away as soon as possible.
5. Consider installing an alarm system with a panic switch.
6. Avoid stopping in poorly lit, out-of-the-way places.
7. If your vehicle breaks down, signal for assistance by raising the hood and by tying a white handkerchief to the radio antenna or door handle. Stay inside your vehicle with the windows closed and the doors locked. If a roadside Samaritan stops, roll down your window just enough to talk and ask that he/she call the police. If the person appears to be a threat, sound the horn and flash your lights.
8. If you think you are being followed, keep out of isolated areas. Look for a place where there are people, then stop and let the vehicle pass you.
9. If the vehicle continues to follow, drive to the nearest location where you can get assistance, i.e., gas stations, shopping centers, police or fire station, etc.
10. If you are followed into your driveway or parking lot, stay locked inside your vehicle until you can identify the occupants of the vehicle. If threatened, sound your horn until you attract attention or the vehicle leaves, call 911.
11. When parking at night, choose well-lit areas. Before getting out of your vehicle, check for people loitering.
12. Always remove your ignition keys. Lock the vehicle whenever it is unattended.
13. Before entering your vehicle, always check the interior, paying particular attention to the floor and rear seat.
14. For escorts to and from your vehicle on campus, call Campus Safety at 603-427-7697 or come to the desk in the main lobby.

Thefts are crimes of opportunity and occur primarily when property is left in unlocked or in unattended areas. In an attempt to alleviate this problem, the Campus Safety Department makes the following suggestions:

1. Keep vehicle door and windows locked at all times.
2. Do not put your name or address on key rings.
3. Do not keep your residence and vehicle keys on the same ring.
4. If you lose the keys to your residence, have the lock(s) changed.
5. Women living alone should not use prefixes “Ms,” “Miss,” or “Mrs.” on their doors or mailboxes. Instead, use the first initial and last name.
6. Do not study in poorly lit or secluded areas.
7. Require people to identify themselves before opening your door.
8. If you see a suspicious person or vehicle on campus, or in your neighborhood, contact the Campus Safety or your local Police Department. Try to get the license plate number.
9. Make sure that all locking devices are in proper working order.
10. Utilize a key control system. All department keys should be signed out and collected when not in use. Keys should be issued only when absolutely necessary.
11. Avoid bringing valuable personal property with you.
12. Purses should be kept locked up, and coats or jackets should not be left unattended with wallets or other valuables in the pockets.
13. Watch out for your neighbor. If someone forgets to secure his/her area or property, keep an eye on it.
14. Report all suspicious persons or improperly secured areas to Campus Safety immediately.